Version 3.00
Updated September 1998
Supersedes Ver 2.50
PRUDENT FOOD STORAGE: Questions & Answers
From the House at Cat's Green
Alan T. Hagan
"In this work, when it shall be found that much is omitted,
let it not be forgotten that much likewise is performed."
Samuel Johnson, 1775, upon
completion of his dictionary.
Courtesy of James T. Stevens
Due to the increasing size of the Prudent Food Storage FAQ it has
become too large to easily post to the newsgroups. If it is to cross
the myriad news servers of the Usenet without being deleted I would have
to break it into at least nine volumes because of the file size limits
that must be observed. This would be cumbersome, unwieldy and would
result in numerous requests landing in my e-mail box for supplying
missing volumes. Consequently, I will be distributing the FAQ from
multiple host sites both here in the U.S. and abroad. In place of the
monthly posting of the entire FAQ, I will be posting the "Changes &
Additions" file along with the FAQ "Table of Contents". A listing of
some of the various sites this work can be downloaded from will be
appended to the bottom of both files.
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PRUDENT FOOD STORAGE: Questions & Answers
TABLE OF CONTENTS
0. Acknowledgements, Foreword, and Table of Contents
I. Shelf Lives: Time, Temperature, Moisture, Oxygen and Light
II. The Techniques of Food Storage
A. Grains and Legumes
1. Grain Varieties
2. Legume Varieties
3. Types of Availability of Grains and Legumes
- Moisture Content
- Cleaning It Yourself
4. Storing Grains and Legumes
B. Dry Milks
1. Types of Dry Milks
- Buying Dry Milk Products
2. Storing Dry Milks
- Shelf Life of Dry Milks
C. Canned Goods
1. Canned Milk Types
- Shelf Life of Canned Milks
2. Corrosion Prevention of Canned Goods
D. Sugar, Honey and Other Sweeteners
1. Types of Granulated Sugars
- Storing Granulated Sugars
2. Types of Honey
- Buying Honey
- Storing Honey
Raw Honey and Botulism
- Honey Outgassing
3. Types of Cane Syrups
- Storing Cane Syrups
4. Corn Syrup
5. Maple Syrup
E. Fats and Oils
1. Buying & Storing Oils and Fats
2. Extending Shelf Life By Adding Anti-Oxidants
F. Cooking Staples
1. Baking Powder
2. Baking Soda
3. Herbs & Spices
4. Salt
5. Vinegar
6. Yeast
G. Infant Formula
III. Spoilage
A. Insect Infestations
1. Pests of Stored Grains, Legumes and Dry Foodstuffs
2. Control of Insect Infestations
B. Molds In Foods
1. Minimizing Molds
2. Molds in Canned Goods
3. Molds in Grains and Legumes
- Preventing Molds In Grains and Legumes
C. Bacterial Spoilage
1. Botulism
2. Other Bacterial Spoilers of Food
D. Enzymatic Action In Food Spoilage
IV. Specific Equipment Questions
A. Storage Containers
1. What is Food Grade Packaging?
- Where Can I Find Food Grade Containers?
2. Plastic Packaging
- How Do I Get the Odor Out of Pickle Buckets?
3. Metal Cans
- Pooling Resources: The Church Of Jesus Christ Of
Latter Day Saints
4. Glass Jars
5. Mylar Bags
- How Do I Use Mylar Bags?
6. Reusing Or Recycling Packaging
B. CO2 and Nitrogen
1. Dry Ice
- Dry Ice Suppliers
2. Compressed Nitrogen
- Types of Availability
- Obtaining the Gas and Necessary Equipment
- Putting It All Together
- Putting It Into Use
C. Oxygen Absorbers
1. What Is An Oxygen Absorber?
2. Where Can I Find Oxygen Absorbers?
3. How Are Oxygen Absorbers Used?
D. Desiccants
1. What Is A Desiccant?
2. Types of Desiccants
- Silica Gel
- Clay Desiccant
- Calcium Oxide
- Calcium Sulfate
- Other Desiccants
3. Where Do I Find Desiccants?
4. How Do I Use Desiccants?
E. Diatomaceous Earth
1. What Is Diatomaceous Earth?
2. Where Can I Find DE and What Type Should I Buy?
3. How Do I Use DE In Food Storage?
V. Shelf Lives
A. "Best Used By", "Use By" and Other Food Product Dates
B. Closed Dating Codes Used By Some Food Manufacturers
C. Shelf Lives of Some Common Storage Foods
VI. Resources
A. Books
B. Pamphlets
C. Magazines
D. Phone, voice, non-modem
E. Electronic-online
- Information sources
- Software sources
F. Organizations
1. The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
- LDS Family Cannery Guidelines
G. Food and Equipment Suppliers
1 Mail Ordering Storage Foods What You Should Know
2 Addresses of Suppliers.
- Storage Food Manufacturers
- Food Preservation Dealers & Suppliers
- Food Storage & Preservation Equipment
Manufacturers
- Diatomaceous Earth Manufacturers & Dealers
- Storage Food Retailers
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********* SPECIAL NOTE ***** SPECIAL NOTE ***** SPECIAL NOTE ********
This Version 3.0 update of the Prudent Food Storage FAQ includes a
first time event. An increasing number of people have been asking for a
printed and bound copy of the FAQ, apparently as a response to the Year
2000 computer problem and other Millennial concerns. With the aid of my
partner, Bob Hollingsworth, we have formatted, printed and bound Version
3.0 to honor these requests. Naturally, since we have spent a good deal
of our time and a not inconsiderable amount of our cash in doing this we
are not giving it away for free, but are charging $15.00 (US) per copy
plus $3.00 shipping and handling (US Postal Service Priority Mail). My
postal address may be found below or you may e-mail me.
This print edition will be available for only for a limited time.
The reason for this is that I am presently at work on "The Prudent
Pantry: Your Guide to Building A Food Insurance Program", my first
commercial work. When completed it will contain all of the content of
this FAQ plus a good deal more that I don't presently cover such as
storage program planning, inventory control, storage locations, the best
foods to store, water storage and purification along with expedient
sanitation.
At this time I am not ready to give either a firm publication date
or cover price for *The Prudent Pantry*, but I am hoping for early
spring of 1999. When it is ready to go to press I will stop printing
bound FAQ copies. Due to the ever growing size of the work (presently
over 300k) I can no longer post the FAQ to the Usenet. I will, of
course, continue to make the FAQ updates available online via host sites
on the World Wide Web even after the book hits the street.
CARPE DIEM!
********* SPECIAL NOTE ***** SPECIAL NOTE ***** SPECIAL NOTE **********
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Comments, orders, questions, suggestions, submissions, etc may be sent
to the e-mail address below:
athagan@sprintmail.com
Postal address:
A.T. Hagan
P.O. Box 140008
Gainesville, Fl 32614-0008